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3 Sheets-Sheet- 2.

(No Model.)

M. T. VAN DERVEER.

AMALGAMATOR. No. 308,584. v Patented Nov. 25, 1884.

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WIT-ME (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

M. T. VAN DERV EE R. AMALGAMATOR. No. 308,584. Patented Nov. 25, 1884.

.dt orney ATENT Fries.

MILTON T. VAN DERVEER, OF AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK.

AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent- 110. 308,584, dated November 25, 1884.

Application filed May 16, i884. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON T. VAN DER- VEER, of Amsterdam, in the county of Montgomery and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamators; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through my improved amalgamator arranged horizontal. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the amalgamator, taken in the plane indicated by dotted lines 00 m. Fig. 3 is aver tical cross-section through line y 1 Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a vertical cross-section through line 2 2:, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an end view ofthe amalgamator with the hopper-head removed. Fig. 6 shows a modification of the revolving casing of the main screw.

This invention relates to improvements on machinery for amalgamating metalliferous ores which have been reduced to a pulp by thoroughly mixing the pulp with mercury; and it consists in certain novel devices whereby the pulp is divided, subdivided, and thoroughly mixed and compounded with mercury, so that the same spa-ngles of gold or other metal are repeatedly brought into immediate relation with the mercury and amalgamated thereby, as will be fully understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

The drawing, Fig. 1, represents the machine which I am about to describe horizontal; but I may arrange it in an inclined plane, if desired.

A designates the external shell of my amalgamator, which is lined with copper or other metal which has an affinity for mercury and will be coated thereby. This shell A is constructed with a removable head, B, a hopper, A, adepression, A, anda vertical chamber, 0, having a discharge-spout, G, and extended above the cylindrical body of the shell a suitable distance.

E designates a central horizontal shaft, which has its end bearings, a a, in the ends of l the shell, as shown in Fig. 1, and onto which is secured, by means of radial arms or spiders P P at'each end, a cylindrical casing, D, the receiving end of which terminates in an open mouth, cup, or dipper, D, for dipping up the mercury and pulp from the hopper-chamber A. Inside of this casing D, and secured to it, is a helical screw, L, the inner edge of which may or may not impinge against a central tube, V. The tube V is secured at its open ends to the hubs of the spiders P I and it contains within it a helical screw, a, which is secured to the shaft E, but not to the tube V. This internal screw, u, receives the pulp and mercury at its open end a, and discharges the same back into the hopper'chamber, while the external screw receives the pulp and mercury from the hopper-chamber A and discharges the same into the vertical chamber 0.

On the hub of the spider P is awheel, K, which has teeth on its periphery that engage with a worm, J, on a vertical shaft, J. This wheel K also has an inside or flanged gear, R, on its rear face, which engages with a pinion, S, on astud, S, fixed to the end of the shell A, inside thereof, with which wheel engages a pinion, E, keyed on the shaft E. The casing, with its screw L, is, by these means, rotated in one direction, while the screw it is rotated in an opposite direction. I thus create a current back and forth in the shell A, and facilitate the movement of the materials and prevent an undue charging of the chamber C.

To the periphery of thescrew L, I secure a number of blades, 0, which are equidistant rally, and they serve the important purpose of compelling the pulp to descend beneath the surface of the mercury, and so subdivide its bulk as to bring every atom in contact with the mercury. Instead of the said blades, or in combination with them, I employ rotary paddles or beaters or deeply-corrugated shafts O, which have their end bearings in the receiving end of the screw L, and also in the radial arms or spider P. On the rear extremities of these rotary paddles or beaters O, I key small spur-wheels W, which are acted on during part of their revolution about the axis of from each other, and preferably arranged spishaft E by means of a stationary toothed se ment, X, which causes them to rotate about their own axes and to stir and intimatelystir, mix, and compound the mercury and pulp.

On the upper end of the worm-shaft J is keyed abeveled spur-wheel, Jiwhich engages with a similar wheel, J", 011 a belt-drun1 driving-shaft, J outside of the shell of the amalgamator.

On the shaft J is a crank, G, which enters the bifurcations of a disk, I, applied loosely on a fixed vertical stud, I, secured to a crossbar on top of the wall of chamber 0. To the periphery of this disk I, I secure a number of inclined blades or rake-teeth, 1 the object of which is to free matter from the surface of the amalgam in the chamber O and to assist in raising the extraneous matter as it floats upward in the mercury. It is obvious that by the revolution of the said crank that the disk, with its rakes, will receive oscillating motion.

In practice I shall construct the casing D with a spiral rib, b, on its periphery for the purpose of carrying mercury back toward the mouth of the shell A.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 6 that I may construct the casing D with shoulders a, equidistant from each other,which materially aid in the process of agitation and amalgamation.

Having described my invention, I claim as new 1. The combination, with the outer shell having a raised vertical chamber at one end and a hopper-chamber at the other, of a screw, an external casing secured thereto, a dippingcup, a central tube, and an internal central back feed screw applied within a central. screw-tube, substantially as described.

2. In an amalgamator, the combination of the shell A, constructed with a hopper and a depression at one end, and a vertical discharge chamber at theother end,with a rotary easing, D, open at both ends, and provided with a dipper at one end, and the internal worm or screw, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the shell A, constructed as described, the rotary casing therein having a dipper at one end, the internal worm or screw, and the corrugated shafts actuated as described.

4. The combination of the blades 0, the corrugated shafts O, the screw, the incasing-cylinder therefor provided with a dipper, the shell A, and the oscillating rakes applied in the discharge-chamber, substantially as described.

5. The combination,with the shell A, of the rotary casing provided with a dipper and a screw, L, the internal centrally-arranged tube provided with a screw having an opposite pitch to that of the screw L, and the means for rotating the same, substantially as described. V

6. The combination, with the shell A, constructed as described, of the revolving casing having a spiral rib on its surface, a dipper on one end, the right and left screws therein, and the cylinder inclosing the back feed-screw, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

7 In an amalgamator, the combination, with the shell A, of the internal revolving cylinder, D, having shoulders a, the right and left screws, the blades 0, and the rotary corrugated shafts, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MILTON T. VAN DERVEER.

Vv'itnesses:

OI-IAs. I XVINEGAR, PETER CREIGHTON. 

